Akhmim
Textiles have a very long history in Egypt, one of them is Akhmim. All of us know the beautiful products of it, but we always keep wondering… what does Akhmim mean? It is actually the name of a city in Suhaggovernorate where these beautiful products originated from. Let’s dig deeper about this vintage craft. If we go back in time we will find that Akhmim textiles date back to ancient Egypt 6th dynasty’s period. Akhmim managed to preserve its reputation as a textile production center up to the present day, despite the economic changes. Akhmim is one of the most adaptable textiles. Since it could be made by different fabrics such as improved viscose, linen, and natural silk imported from China and India. But it originally started with 100% Egyptian cotton and wool and still used up till now.
Akhmim is a hand-woven textile that has many products that range from scarves, shawls, beach towels, placemats, and coverlets to hand-woven fabrics that is ready for tailoring. The process is divided into 3 main phases, it begins with 2 workers who are responsible to divide the yarn and roll it to be ready for the craft man to use. From here the craft man begins to work on the loom to turn the yarn into a textile, to produce a certain item. Finally, women are involved in the finishing of a product by sewing the trims of each woven piece or by making different shapes of tassels. The production time varies drastically from one product to another, for example, coverlets take from 8 to 12 hours depending on the size while the beach towels take from 4 to 6 hours. This process of finalizing one item includes around 4-5 persons.
Akhmim textile is not only a craft. It is a source of income for many artisans in Upper Egypt and plays a role in women’s empowerment. It preserves the city’s craftsmanship and authenticity.